Month: February 2018

Skipping the rope is one of the forgotten skills in a boxing workout. However, you need to incorporate this into your boxing fitness routine. Skipping rope is incredible for cardio training, working your legs and footwork. You don’t need an hour to skip the rope, all you need is a few minutes, and you will be on your way to a great physique.

First Things First – Choosing the Perfect Skipping Rope

There are very many skipping ropes available for you to use – depending on the material and the length. Some are made of cotton, some plastic while others coated wire. The weight of the skipping rope varies depending on the material in use.

Choose a rope that is light in your hands, and that will help you get the workout you need without being too tough on your hands. A heavy rope will make you get tired easily. Additionally, a heavy rope will hurt you when it hits the back of your legs, something that will happen severally.

The extra light skipping ropes aren’t ideal either because they won’t cut through the air as fast and as flawlessly as they should.

Once you have the perfect skipping rope, you need to get enough space for the task. The best place is to skip from the gym. Visit http://londonfightfactory.com/boxing/ to join a boxing gym that gives you enough space to skip rope. Don’t forget your training shoes to avoid injury to your feet.

How to Skip

Skip Without The Rope

Yes, place the rope down and focus on your footwork without worrying about rope timing. The boxer’s skip is different from other varieties. You bounce twice on the ball of your feet, twice on the left and twice on the right. Remember, you bounce on the balls of the feet, not the heels pr the toes. Don’t jump, just bounce a short height and keep the steps short. Start slowly and find a rhythm to follow. Do this for 2 rounds, each round taking 2 minutes.

Single Handed Skipping

Now that you have rhythm, you need to work on your timing. For this movement, you are going to go for the double bounce but with both ends of the rope in both hands. Swing the rope on a single side of your feet without letting go of it. Do this for 2 rounds as well, each 2 minutes.

Full Skipping

Now it is time to put everything together. Grab an end of each rope in each hand. You aim to perform the double bounce you mastered in step 1 while making sure the rope passes under your feet after every skip. For starters, you will miss a few times, but don’t despair. The aim is to combine the footwork in step 1 with this timing. Remember in boxing timing and footwork is everything.

Adding Skipping to Your Routine

Use this rope skipping exercise to warm up before heading to the punching bag. You can also utilize it as a cooling down exercise. Make sure you stretch your calves after each session.